I was a reader before it became hot, befriending the school librarian and picking up books way past my age — she’s a rebel, guys. Now reading is finally being recognized as the sexy sport that it is. The hottest girls can read (sorry, Lea Michele). So if you’re looking for the ultimate hot girl summer experience, skip Barry’s Bootcamp and head to your local bookstore instead. These books can be read by the pool, on the balcony, in the park, strutting on the treadmill, or during particularly boring sex. Wherever, whenever, we’re meant to be reading, baby. So, without further ado, here are the hottest summer 2024 books to read!!
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Summer 2024 Books To Read
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Summer belongs to Emily Henry. It is her season now. Every year she releases a book right before summer so that all the girlies can pick it up at the airport on their way to somewhere sunny and alcohol-filled. This year, it’s “Funny Story,” which is a very funny story!! Her fiancé dumps Daphne for his childhood best friend, Petra. She ends up sharing an apartment with Petra’s ex, Miles, her total opposite (you know where this is going!!!). They pretend to be dating to hurt their exes, only to find that sometimes the most unexpected person is exactly what you need in life. Plus, she’s a hot librarian, and he’s a tattooed bartender, so my bisexual self is thriving. When Taylor Swift said “tattooed golden retriever,” you know she was talking about Miles.
Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
We’re the kind of people who binge Bridgerton’s newest season in one, max two, sittings. Self-control, who is she? So once you’ve inevitably watched the newest season (and rewatched it while intoxicated with chicken nuggets), you can read the book for even more Penelope and Colin!! She’s been in love with her best friend’s brother for years, but unlike the rest of us, he’s actually hot and not just supplying booze for parties. Will Colin finally notice the wallflower/ Lady Whistledown herself? Will their friendship become more? Will the sex rival that library scene? Find out!!
Hot Not Bothered by Harper Ford
Whether you’re going through the hot flushes of menopause or just dreading this mysterious ailment, it’s amazing to be able to finally read about it. Heidi is juggling her demanding job, parenting two kids, and just trying not to have a menty b. When she receives a company-wide email from HR supporting ‘women of a certain age,’ Heidi lives our worst nightmare and selects ‘reply all’ with a rant. Suddenly, she’s the face of menopause in her office, in a hilarious tale about second (or third) chance love and how life DOES NOT END AT 30!
Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell
If you love true crime documentaries, you’ll adore this sharp and deadly debut novel. Hannah’s love life and career are going pretty shit, so she takes out her frustration by writing a series of furious letters to William Thompson (such a serial killer name), who was arrested for the murders of multiple women he got close to. To her surprise, William writes back, and she finds herself with the most unexpected pen pal. She grows closer to him and wonders whether he is innocent or if she even wants him to be… This is for the girlies who always date the kind of men that inspire “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.”
Good Material by Dolly Alderton
I have been a member of the Dolly Alderton cult since her first book, “Everything I Know About Love,” and I remain a dedicated follower. This time, our fav girlie is taking the perspective of a MAN! Yes, a MAN! Not only a straight man but a comedian!!! Life is pretty shit for Andy right now. His girlfriend Jen dumped him, his stand-up career isn’t going well, and he can’t understand why everyone else seems to have their shit together. It’s an exploration of how we try to understand breakups, the differences in male and female friendships, and how two people can go through the same breakup and see it so differently. I laughed, I cried, and I continued my annual subscription to the Cult of Dolly!
Under Your Spell by Laura Wood
If you love a bit of witchy energy in your life or just enjoy your daily horoscope, then this is the summer 2024 book for you! Clementine was dumped by her cheating ex, fired from her dream job, and is about to lose her flat, so when her sisters get her drunk and suggest reviving a childhood ritual called the breakup spell, she figures it can’t get worse. Well, it does. She ruins a funeral, has her first one-night stand, and signs up to spend six weeks alone with the gorgeous and very-off-limits rock star, Theo Eliott. Be careful what you wish for!! (Unless that wish is to eat toast with Pedro Pascal, which is what every set of birthday candles goes to in my case)
The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
You know a book is going to be fun when it starts with someone dying! In this case, Delphie Bookham has just died and met The One in the afterlife. But a mix-up means that he is immediately sent back to Earth, oh no! As a second chance, Delphie is given a deal where she must return to her previous life in London and find the mysterious stranger she’s sure is her soulmate. She has to make him fall for her in ten days, but he has no recollection of them meeting in the first place. Dating has never been this deadly, not even when Snapchat first became a thing!
The End of Summer by Charlotte Philby
Let’s try a thriller for those of us who like to be on the edge of our lounge chair with a book. Judy McVee’s past has finally caught up with her, as her daughter wants to know why there are journalists on her doorstep making terrible accusations. Decades earlier, Judy was just a young girl with big plans to find a rich husband, make something of herself, and leave behind the tragedies of her past. She thought she had found that is wealthy young widower, Rory Harrington, only things became more complicated once she fell in love with him. Now, her daughter Francesca has her own secrets and is trying to figure out who her mother actually is. If you’ll be stuck in the stifling city this summer, let this novel take you to London, the South of France, New York, and Cape Cod.
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander
A psychological thriller where not only can you not trust the narrator, but she can’t trust her own memory. Sign me up!! Charlie Colbert’s life changed irrevocably nine years ago when she was one of the few survivors of a violent attack. She’s considered lucky to have survived, but no one knows that she lied that night. Charlie thought she had escaped all of that tragedy, as she has a successful career and a wealthy fiancé, but a film adaptation of the attack is brining everything to the surface. Was she really just a ‘witness’? She’s working to hide the truth, but it’s a truth she can’t even fully remember herself. I read this entire book in two days while down with a terrible flu, and I felt ravenous for more.
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
My biggest fear is finding a stranger in my home (or a snake hiding in the toilet bowl), and in this novel, Lauren finds a strange man in her flat… only he claims that he’s her husband? She has no idea who he is, but he’s in photos and on the electricity bills. Does she have amnesia? Nope, her attic is creating an endless supply of husbands for her. One who makes a great breakfast sandwich, one who turns everything into double entendres, one who’s way too hot, and more. But with so many options, how will Lauren know when she’s found the right husband? This commitmentphobe can’t wait to read it on her beach holiday in Greece (sorry, I had to flex that).
Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller
Less laughing and more crying, let’s turn to Goodbye Birdie Greenwing. Birdie lost her beloved twin sister and husband and has watched her world slowly shrink since then. She can’t admit she’s lonely or needs a helping hand. Then Jane moves in next door; she’s brought her daughter to Brighton for a fresh start away from her ferociously protective mother. Finally, Ada comes to England to follow her dreams but finds things harder than expected. Their lives come crashing together, and the three of them find a way to make things work. Books about friendship genuinely make me sob like a toddler in a supermarket because I just love my girlies so much. I know I’ll read this and then try to hug them until they shove me off.
As Young As This by Roxy Dunn
Do you have a list in your Notes app with the names of everyone you’ve ever hooked up with? If so, you’ll love this book. Margot pictures all the men she’s ever loved as stepping stones bringing her closer to the man she’d share her life with. Only now, she’s single at thirty-four and struggling to make the biggest decision of her life. This book takes you through all of the despair, joy, and friendship of a life and how it never ends up quite how we expected. Forget your vision board; forget your hours on Pinterest. This novel is a reminder to let life just happen.
We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim
Now something for the fantasy girls looking to escape the real world and their responsibilities! In this Frankenstein meets Indian mythology novel, you’ll be able to zone out of things for a few days. Kajal tries to resurrect her sister’s soul as she can’t stand living without her, but things go wrong, and her sister warps into a bhuta—a murderous, wraith-like spirit—and Kajal gets sentenced to death for her sister’s rampage. She’s offered a bid for freedom if she resurrects the kingdom’s fallen crown prince to aid a growing rebellion against a tyrannical usurper. Only the boy she resurrected is not the crown prince, so now they have to team up to find the real one. It’s a rollercoaster ride that will remind you not to scream at your sister for stealing your top and never try to bring people back from the dead #justgirlythings.
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
The Queen of Thrillers is turning her attention to the Dorset coast this time. Guests gather at The Manor, a stunning new countryside retreat, for its opening weekend celebration. But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs, and things obviously go wrong. Among the old friends and enemies, a body is found. Will the killer be brought to justice before they can kill again? The perfect summer read for anyone who buys crystals to cure their tequila hangover and love a bit of murder on a Friday night.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Grumpy Boy and Sunshine Girl is one of the best tropes and it’s back again in this meta romcom. Emma is offered the chance to write a rom-com screenplay with her idol, Charlie Yates. He’s a movie-writing legend and kind of a jerk (we love it). Charlie is only writing this movie to get a Mafia movie that he actually cares about made, and he doesn’t even believe in love!! Gasp! Has he been on Hinge for too long? Emma has to help him understand rom-coms and teach him about love… will the kissing come off the page to the other page? We’ll find out, and I will likely be squealing like a pig throughout!
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
Our favorite STEMinist author is back with more proof that science can be sexy! This time, it’s a forbidden, secret affair between a biotech engineer and the man taking over her company. Their affair is secret, no strings attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. All’s fair in love and science, and you don’t have to be a Woman in STEM to enjoy this steamy romance by the bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis. *cough* sex in a lab!!!
Husbands and Lovers by Beatriz Williams
Feel like crying on the beach?? Who doesn’t?! Well, in “Husbands and Lovers,” you get to explore two stories of secrets and lost love. In New England, 2022, Mallory is a single mother searching for a donor kidney to save her son’s life. She’s forced to confront two harrowing secrets from her past: her mother’s adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952, and the sexy summer romance she had fourteen years ago with her childhood best friend turned global superstar, Monk Adams, which ended in a devastating betrayal. Back in Cairo, 1951, a Hungarian refugee Hannah has built a better life for herself, including being married to a wealthy British diplomat with a coveted posting in glamorous Cairo. But she finds herself pregnant and tangled in a passionate love affair as revolution simmers in the Egyptian streets. What do these women have in common? Will either get a happy ending? Let’s find out together and hold each other’s hand.
One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon
I saw that this was described as Get Out meets The Stepford Wives, and I immediately added it to my overflowing TBR list. Jasmyn and King Williams hope to find a community of like-minded people when they move their family to the planned Black utopia of Liberty, California. King quickly embraces the Liberty ethos and settles in, but Jasmyn struggles to find her place. She had come expecting to find liberals and social justice activists striving for racial equality, but Liberty residents seem more focused on booking spa treatments and ignoring the world’s troubles. Something suspicious is going on here… A thriller with insightful social commentary means I don’t even have to feel bad about avoiding the news while I read it!
When Women Ran Fifth Avenue by Julie Satow
I use shopping to deal with any uncomfortable feelings, so obviously I’m going to purchase a book about shopping. This nonfiction book tells the story of twentieth-century American department stores, and how three women rose to the top of them. It’s filled with juicy secrets, the glitzy 1900s, and stylish stories of the women who worked and shopped there. Plus, it’s nonfiction, so you can boast about reading it for the next six months and slip it into every single conversation you have.
Kinky History by Esmé Louise James
Another nonfiction book? Wow, she’s intelligent, guys. But maybe don’t bring this one up at your family’s 4th of July BBQ (or do, I don’t want to judge different lifestyles!). This is for all the “50 Shades of Grey” girlies who bought the book because they were “just curious” and not at all because of their recently wiped browsing history. Discussing the diverse history of nonbinary gender, funny yet horrifying contraceptive methods, and the evolution of pornography, this is going to be a book to remember. It also includes the dirty little secrets of famous people such as Julius Caesar, James Joyce, Albert Einstein, and Virginia Woolf. The perfect bedside book to let you riffle through everyone’s bedside drawers.
Undue Burden by Shefali Luthra
Mirroring the rise in Ozempic is the fall of our reproductive rights, as Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. This reporter examines the dire consequences of abortion restrictions, and the domino effects they cause. It aims to examine “abortion not as a footnote or a political pawn, but as a basic human right.” Again, the perfect book to read before you get dragged into another debate by someone who doesn’t have a uterus and has no stake in the matter.
First Love: Essays on Friendship by Lilly Dancyger
Relationships come and go, but female friendships shape the person that you are. I’ve never had a breakup hurt as much as losing my high school bestie, or going no-contact with the college roommate you were convinced would be your maid of honor. That’s why I can’t wait to read this collection of essays that treats women’s friendships like the love stories they are. It explores the intensity of adolescent friendships, the beauty of chosen family, and everything in between. It must be read on a girl’s trip somewhere gorgeous!!
When We Are Seen by Denise Young
I don’t think Denise would like me calling her a SHE-E-O, but that’s exactly what she is. This memoir about girl bossing her way to the top covers the struggle of being the “first and only” woman of color in boardrooms and leading roles across the Bay Area’s booming tech industry. She’ll remind us how to bring our true selves to work and the importance of inspiring inclusivity in the workplace. I think we all have something to learn from this one!
This Great Hemisphere by Mateo Askaripour
Sweetmint is a young invisible woman who has done everything right her entire life and is now an apprentice with the Northwestern Hemisphere’s premier inventor. But all of this comes crashing down with her older brother’s disappearance when authorities claim that he is the main suspect in the murder of the Chief Executive of the Northwestern Hemisphere. A manhunt ensues and Sweetmint is hurrying to find her brother first, at whatever cost. Not for girlies with tummy troubles, as this is going to be a stressy ride!!
The F**k It! List by Melanie Cantor
Life can be a bit shit, to put it lightly, and so it’s always nice to find a book that reflects this. Daisy caught her boyfriend fucking someone else at her fortieth birthday party. Now she’s camped out in her childhood bedroom, and it looks like her dream to have a baby has gone down the drain. Time for a F**k it! List, to do whatever she wants, with her pals at her side. Let it be an inspiration to us all! Hot girl summer? Nah, I’ll take a feral rat summer instead!
Enlightenment by Sarah Perry
Last but certainly not least, we’re turning to something OUT OF THIS WORLD! Thomas Hart and Grace Macauley attend the same church in a small town, separated by three decades, but kindred spirits in another sense. Thomas falls for James, who runs the local museum, and they develop an obsession with the vanished nineteenth-century female astronomer Maria Veduva, who is said to haunt a nearby manor. But does James reciprocate his feelings? Meanwhile, Grace meets Nathan, a fellow sixth former who represents a different, wilder kind of life. She finds herself leaving everything she knows, including Thomas, and herself. A book of mysteries, unrequited love, friendship, and the sheer miracle of being alive. Oh, and star gazing.
